Erecting-crane.



;PATBNTBD MAY 26, 1903.

^ J.' H. AMES.

BRBGTING CRANE. APPLICATION FILED. JULY 21, 1-902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1m nonni.. l

. PATENTED MAY-26, 1903..`

J. EAMES.

EREGTING CRANE.

A1fPLIOATIONIILED JULY `Z1, 1902.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

X0 MODEL.

No. 728,825. PTNTED MAY 26, 1903.

J. H. AMES.

ERECTING RANE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 21, 1902.

No MODEL. a sHEETs-sHEET z/a'rzesses: o "QZ-72 we 72%? :fase/072% NO. 728,825. Patented May 26, 1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. AMES, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAR & FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ERECTlNG-CRANE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,825, dated May 26, 1903. l

Application iiled July 21, 1902. SarialNo.116,400. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.: on a shaft running the full length of the Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. AMES, a citibridge, and the movement of this shaft, by

zen of the United States, residing'at St. Louis, pulling on the chain, is communicated to the Missouri, have invented a certain Anew and truck-wheels of the bridge by means of a suit- 5 useful Improvement in Erecting-Cranes, of able pinion and gear-wheelon the truck-wheel 55 which the following is a full, clear, and exaxle. Upon the traveling bridge-crane are act description, such as will enable others mounted two trolleys, each vbeing equipped skilled in the art to which it appertains to with an electric motor and a drum for reeling make and use the same, reference being had 4up the wire rope by means of which the loadxo to the accompanying drawings, forming part such, for instance, as a hydraulic or pneu- 6o of this specification, in whichmatic riveter-is hoisted, the Vpower of the Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my motor being communicated to said drum improved crane. Fig. 2 is a front elevational through a suitable train of gears. The moview of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged eletor is operated bya suitable controller, which l5 vational view of one of the trolleys. Fig. 4:v is operated from the floor by means of pend- 65 is a detail view hereinafter described. ent hand-chains. Y Y

This invention relates to a new and useful The bridge-crane is so constructod that one improvement in electric ,cranes designed esend extends beyond and overhangs one of the pecially for use in the erection of steel railjibs in order to permit the placingthereon of zo waycars, the object being to enable said a relatively stationary motor-driven hoist- 7o crane to handle the different parts of the car ing-drum without interfering with the travel orl the riveting-machines that work on the car of the movable trolleys. This hoisting-drum to advantage. is designed to reel up two independent wire The crane shown inthe drawings is mgountropes, which leave the drum in a horizontal z5 ed upona truck or platform designedto be plane, pass over sheaves which are attached 75 operated over a track, the gage of which track tothe side of the bridge-craneone being near is made as wide as possible, so that the wheels each end, and 'thence ,in a vertical plane toon the side opposite the masts will bear on ward the floor. The function of this hoist is the rail and oppose the tendency of the structo enable the operator to attach the ropes to 3o ture to overturn by reason of the long overpart-s of the car or other structure which may 8o hang of the jibs. There are two masts exbe lying on the floor and which he desires to tending upwardlyfrom the truck, from which lift, move to the desired position, and hold project stationary jibsvor beams in a horizon' securely. while the 'necessary bolting is done tal direction. These jibs carry a traveling preparatory to the rivetingoperation. The

35 bridge-crane of the ordinary type. The truck motor of this hoist is operated through a con- 85 is provided with an electric motor, which is troller having pendent hand-chains similar geared to one of its axles, whereby the entire to those on the trolley. structure may be moved along the track in The conductors supplying electric current either direction at the-will of the operator. to the crane are preferably located between 4o Counterbalance-weights are placed on the the rails on which the crane runs, and the 9o truck between the masts to counteract the collector is attached to the bottom of the tendency of the structure to overturn' by reatruck and extends downward to make contact son of the weight of the crane-bridge and its with the conductors in a manner similarto load when at the extremeouter end of the the well-known third-rail system for elec- 45 jibs. On the upper faces of the jibs are suittric railways. The hydraulic or pneumatic 95 able rails on which the wheels of the movable power for the riveting-machines may be conbridge run. This bridge is of the ordinary veyed to same by means of swivel-jointed pipcrane type, and the movement in this case is ing or hose. eected by a pendenthand-chain passing With these objects in view my invention 5o over a sprocket-wheel which in turn is located consistsin the construction, arrangement,a nd Ioo combination of the several parts, all as will hereinafter be described,and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the track-rails, upon which is mounted the truck base 2.

This truck-base is soconstructed that coun? insuflicient to hold the same in the desired position.

6 indicates masts rising from each end of the truck-base and suitably strengthened by lattice-bars. These masts carry at their upper ends over-hanging jibs 7, upon Whose upper faces are arranged track-rails 8. These track-rails support the bridge-crane. This bridge-crane is in the form of a'truck 9, having wheels 10 operatingupon the track-rails 8.

11 and 12 are the hoisting devices arranged 1 upon the bridge crane or truck 9, said devices being in the form of trolleys, and each, as is usual in electric hoisting apparatus, havingy a controller 11", which is manipulated by means of the pendent hand-chains 13. The hoisting-drums 12,driven by the motors 13a, operate ropes 14, which carry the tackleblocks 15, said tackle-blocks being provided with hooks for connectionwith riveting or other machinery suspended therefrom.

16 indicates hand-ropes for causing the trolley to move independently along the bridge 9.

17 indicates the hand rope or chain suspended from each trolley, which rope or chain passes over a sprocket-wheel on the shaft 18, as best shown in Fig. 3, said shaft being connected, through the pinion 18a and gear-wheel 1Sb with the pinion 10a on the shaft, with the Wheels 10, whereby said wheels are driven and the truck 9 and its associate parts may be caused to travel at the will of the operator over the j ibs 7. The said sprocket-wheel may be suitably supported from the trolley-frame, and said wheels work on a feather on said shaft 18, or the shaft may be angular in crosssection, as shown, so that irrespective of the position of either trolley on the bridge the chains for causing movement of the bridgecrane are Within the reach of the operator.

In Fig. 4 a motor X, controlled through the V hand-chains 17a and controller 17", takes the place of the sprocket-wheel and said handrope 17, and upon manipulating the handchains 17 f* the current to said motor is turned on, thus energizing said motor, and through the gears 18, 18", and 10a driving the Wheels 10, therein shown.

As shown in Fig. 2, one end of the truck is projected longitudinally thereof outwardly, so as to overhang the jib laterally of said jib, said outwardly-projecting end of truck 9 being indicated at 19. This projecting end of truck 9 is provided with a motor-driven hoisting-drum designed to -be manipulated by pendent hand-ropes 2O for controlling the operation of the same. The drum referred to, which is driven by this auxiliary hoisting mechanism, as it might be called, is designed to wind or unwind two ropes 21 and 22, said ropes leaving the drum in a horizontal direction and passing over sheaves or pulleys 23 and 24, mounted upon the truck 9.

From the foregoing it will be seen that from each trolley, as the hoisting devices 11 and 12 are commonly termed, hang three sets of hand chains-one, 17, for bridge travel, another, 16, for trolley travel, and the other, 13, for controlling the motor and the rotation of the hoisting-drum. This enables the operator of the riveting-machine to place his dies on any rivet or to move from. one rivet to another in the shortest possible time. These three movements, combined with the movement of the entire structure along the track on the floor of the shop, enable the operator to move from one end of a car, or whatever structure may be under construction, to the other regardless of `its length or to move from one car to another or one structure to another, as may be desired. The purpose of having two trolleys on the bridge is to permit the employment of different sizes of riveting-machines in the same structure, thus obviating lost time resulting from changing machines and their connections where it is desirable to use machines of diierent sizes or dierent machines for dierent kinds of work. Each trolley being entirely complete in itself and independent of the other enables two operators to operate dierent riveting-machines on the same structure at the same time, assuming, of course, that the bridge is initially set in proper position. By referring to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be observed that the entire structure is comparatively light, the masts and jibs being braced and tied by theV employment of appropriately arranged and disposed lattice or angle and tie bars 6", and the jibs and masts are provided with suitable braces 6a for bracing said jibs and tying the same to the masts.

It is obvious that instead of employing the hand-chains for eecting the bridge and trolley travel motors could be employed with appropriate gearing, whereby by operating a switch on the truck said motors could be cut in circuit, respectively, to eect such travel.

I am aware that many minor changes in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least-departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what IOO IIO

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an erecting-crane, the combination with a truck having a receptacle for counterbalaneing-weights, masts rising therefrom, jibs supported by said masts and projecting therebeyond, and jaws connected from the opposite side of said truck, adapted to cooperate in anchoring said truck; substantially as described. i-

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination `:Vith a truck having masts at each end, jbs extending at the upper ends of said masts, connections between said masts and jibs for bracing and tying the same,anda bridge-crane mounted on saidjibs; substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with masts and jibs, of brace and tie bars for rigidly securing said parts together, a bridge mounted to traverse said jibs, and a plurality of trolleys on said bridge; substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a movable bridge, of independently-movable trolleys arranged thereon, and means identified with each trolley for controlling the movement of said bridge irrespective of the position of the trolleys thereon; substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus of the character de` scribed, the combination with a traveling bridge, of trolleys mounted thereon and capable of movement in a direction at right angles to the movement of the bridge, means for moving each trolley independently of the other, and means carried by each trolley, irrespective oi its position on the bridge, for eecting the movement ot' said bridge; substantially as described.

6. In an apparatnsof the character described, the combination with two jibs, a bridge mounted to travel thereon, a trolley arranged on the bridge between the jibs, and hoisting apparatus arranged on one end of said bridge outside of said jibs; substantially as described. l

7. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a traveling bridge, one end of which extends longitudinally outwardly to form an overhang laterally of the jibs, and a hoisting apparatus arranged on said outwardly-projectin g end; sub stantially as described. i

8. In an apparatus of the character dea scribed, the combination with two jibs, a

traveling bridge mounted thereon and having an overhanging end, hoisting apparatus on said bridge and hoisting-ropes controlled ,by said hoisting apparatus, said ropes extending inwardly and depending from the bridge at points between the jibs; substantially as described.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a traveling bridge, of independently-movable trolleys arranged thereon, and an auxiliary hoisting apparatus arranged on said bridge beyond the limit of travel of said trolleys; substantially as described.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with two jibs, a bridge mounted to travel thereon, a movable trolley arranged to travel on said bridge, means carried by said trolley for effecting the movement of said bridge irrespective of the position cf the trolley thereon, an auxiliary hoisting mechanism arranged on the bridge beyond the limit of travel of said trolley, and ropes operated by said auxiliary hoisting mechanism which ropes depend from the bridge at points between the jibs; substantially as described.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a movable truck, carrying two masts, of overhanging jibs extending from said masts, a bridge designed to travel upon said jibs, independentlymovable trolleys mounted to travel upon said bridge, means for electing the independent movement ot' said trolleys, means for independently controlling the operation of the hoisting-drum carried by said trolleys, and means carried by each of said trolleys for effecting the travel of said bridge; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 18th day of July, 1902.

JOSEPH H. AMES.

Witnesses:

GEORGE BAKEWELL, G. A. PENNINGTON. 

